Gathering and loading machine



Aug. 7, 1945. F. CARTLIDGE GATHERING AND LOADING vMACHINE Filed Oct. 19, 1942 7 Sheets-Sheet l F. CARTLIDGE 2,381,108

GATHERING AND LOADING MACHINE Filed oct. 19, 1942 7 Sheets-sheet 2 Aug. 7,1945.

Aug. 7, 1945. F. CARTLIDGE Zlywg GATHERING AND LOADING MACHINE Filed Oct. 19,. 1942 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 @AMA/CL Q7/mig F. CARTLIDGE GATHERING AND LOADING MACHINE Filed oct. 19, 1942 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INI ENTOR. Fim NK CA@ TL/DGE BY A TTOR/VEY Ms www mh\ MGE Aug. 7, 1945. F. CARTLIDGE 2,381,103

` I GATHERING AND LOADING MACHINE A Filed oct. 19, 1942 'r sheets-sheet 5 INVENTOIL l\ TRANK CARTIDGE Aug. 7, 1945. F. cARTLlDG-E GATHERING AND LOADING MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed OCL. 19, v1942 INVENTOR.

FAMA/K CARM/.DGE 1 Aug. 7, 1945; F. CARTLJDGE GATHERING AND LOADING MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet 'T Filed Oct. 1.9, 1942 @emm'pv A Tram/EY Patented Aug. 7, 1945 ,UNITED STATE' GATHERING AND LOADING MACHINE l Frank Cartlidge, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a

corporation o f Illinois Application October 19, 1942, Serial No. 462,506

' 4 Claims. ,(01. lss-'409) f f Thisn invention:relatesto` improvements in gathering and loading machines adapted to load 4coal or other loose'mater'ialgat the working face of a mine..

The principal objects of the invention are to providefasimpleand eflicient machine Aof the character described,"m'ounted on endless( treads, designed `to operate low seams of coalyand provided with hydraulic operating andv control ,o

devices affording greater ease and iiexibility of manipulation and control, with a resultant increased loading capaci-ty over formerimachines used for this purpose.A

Other objects of the invention will appear from time `to time as'the following specification pro'` ceeds, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view showing the front or gathering end of a machine c'onstructed'in accordance with my invention, with certain parts broken away and shown in section to show details of construction;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view forming in effect a continuation of Figure 1, and showing .the main part of the machine, with the rear or discharge end ofthe main conveyer broken away, and with certain other portions shown in section;

Figure 3` is a venticalrsection taken on certain longitudinal planes, showing the frontpo'rtion of the machine included in Figure 1; o Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on certain longitudinal planes, constituting in effect a continuation of Figure 3, and showing the main par-t of the machine; y 4Figure 5 is an enlarged detail section, showing the rear part of the machine, taken generally along the center line of the conveyer;

Figure 6 is a transverse section taken generally on line 6-6 of Figure 2;

Figure ,"Izis a-detailsection .takenfon line l-1 of Figure 6; N

Figure 8 is a transverse section .taken on line `8 8 of Figure 2;

Figure 9 is a detail section of Figure 2; v

Figure 10 is a detail section taken on line III- I I) of Figure 2;

Figure `11 is a transverse section taken on line III-III of Figure 1;

Figure 12 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view in side elevation, with certain parts broken away and certain otherparts shown `in substantiallylongitudinal section;

taken en line 9 9 I f `Figure'l?) is jan enlarged detail section taken o on linev I3-l3 of Figurel;

Figure 14 is an enlarged detail section taken Figure 15 is a section taken on line I5'-'I5 of Figure 1,showingdetails of theflexible conveyer wall structure;

'Figure 16 is an enlarged detail section taken on vline IE-IG lof Figure 2; and

Figure 17 is a transverse section taken generally on line II-I'l of Figure 1.

'Referring now todetails of the embodiment of my inven-tionillustrated in the drawings, the main elements of .the machine consist of `a main frame IIJ mounted on la pair of vendless treads II, I I and having an inclined gathering` element or loading head I2 disposed in advance of 4said main frame, and a conveyer 'I3 extending from the gathering element rearwardly over the main frame and beyond the rear end of the'latter in `overhanging positionsoas'to discharge material into mine cars or the like. Said conveyer is of .the `single center strand endless'chain -and flight type including an endless chain I4 having spaced apart flightsl I5; I5 secured thereto and'project'- ing laterally therefrom 'in opposite directions.

`The main frame I0 includes apair'of upright side frame members I1, I1, a deck plate I8 and a bcttomplate `I!! (see Figure 11).' The `endless treads II, II are suitably mounted at opposite sides of the side frame members on drive'sprockets 20, 2|] near the rear end of the frame, idler sprockets-2|, 2| at the front of the frame, and a plurality of intermediate bogie wheels 2Ia, 2Ia.. Said sprockets and fbogie WheelsA are supported von suitable shafts which have bearing at their inner ends on the main frame and at their'outer ends in overhanging brackets 22 aty opposite sides of the frame. Details of the endless tread structure and its supporting means need not be described further, as they form no part of the present invention; excepting to pointout that drive shafts 23, 23 of the drive sprockets 20,'project outwardly beyondthe overhanging supportingbra'ckets 22, 22 and have chain drive sprockets 24, 24 xed .thereon to provide independent driving connections for each of said endless treads from a pair of hydraulic motors 25, 25a mounted at each side `of the main frame (see Figure 8).

' The drive connections' from each pair of hydraulic motors 25, 25a to its respective endless tread form the subject' matter of my divisional application Serial No. 488,644, filed May 27, 1943, so need not be describedin detail in the present application.

of frame 45 is journaled on said post, and said.

84 fixed on the forward part of the main frame IU; a vertically tilting trough section 85 connected thereto on a transverse axis near the rear end of the main frame (see Figures 4 and 5); and finally a laterally swinging trough section 86, pivotally connected to the rear end of the section 85 and overhanging the rear of the ma- :chinegwas shown in Figures A2 and 4,

Referring now to detain of the conveyer I3, its center strand conveyer chain I4 is" of a Well known laterally flexible gibbed type, the links frame projects forwardly therefrom beneath the conveyer I3, to form a support. for a swivelling portion thereof, as will presently be described, in

detail. An electric motor 48` is mounted at thel front end of said intermediate'frame, to provide gathering element. l

The gathering element I2 herein the familiar type including an inclined gathering plate 50 extending along opposite sides of the the motive power for the gathering chains of the front end of the conveyer I3 and across the front end thereof. vA pair of chain guiding members 5I, 5I having endlesschains 52,52 mounted for orbital movement thereabout, are mounted as usual on said plate, along opposite sides and forwardly of the conveyer. A plurality of gathering arms 53., 53 arecarried byy said chains, for picking up material from the ground and moving it alongv said plate onto the conveyer.

The gathering chains 512 are driven from the electric motor 48 by suitable means, such as the mechanism disclosed and claimed in my divisional applicatiomSerial No. 488.603, filed. May 26, 1943, so a-detailed description of such drive mechanism is omitted from this application?.

The inclined plate 50 is supported forwardly of the intermediate frame 45 by spaced Aupright side plates 1 I, flared outwardly. along'their upper margin-and having trunnion bearings12, 12 at their rear ends connected'to trunnions 13, 'I3 xe'd at opposite sides of the intermediate frame '45 (see Figures l and 17) so as to permit vertical tilting adjustment of the gathering element. The gathering element I2 and intermediate frame 45 are lswung laterally relative to the main frame IIJ by a hydraulic extension device 15, as herein shown. consisting of a cylinder 16 having its base vpivotally mounted'on a bracket 11 at one side of the main frame, and a piston rod 18 pivotally connected to a bracket 19 xed at one side of the intermediate frame 45 (see Figuresl and 2).

`The gathering element `has tilting adjustment on trunnions 12, 12 relative to the intermediate frame 45, by a pairof hydraulic cylinder extension devices 80, 80 of the'usual` cylinder and piston form, each havingl one end pivotallv` connected to the base of said intermediate frame, and the other endpivotally connected to the under side of the gathering element, as is best shown in Figure 3. A pair of coil springs BI, 8I are also interposed between the base of the in'- termediate frame'and the rear en d of the inclined plate 50, so as to yieldingly supporta part of the weight of the gathering element in its various tilted positions.

The conveyer I3, which extends continuously from the gathering element I-2. to the rear end of the machine, consists generally of a plurality of aligned trough 'sectionsy arranged inthe following order: la front inclinedv trough section 62, tiltable vertically W'ith'the gatheringy head on a vtransverse axis.; a 'horiiontal troughAv section 83 mounted on and swinging laterally withvt'he intermediate frame 45; a horizontal troughlsection shown is .of

of which are pivotally movable about vertical as well as horizontal axes and are adapted to ride in a series of aligned guide or gib sections which extendV almost the full length of the conveyer,

but perm'itrelative vertical and lateral swinging movements of the several sections of the convey'er,` as will'now be described.

The front section 82 of the conveyer includes a U-shaped trough member having a bottom plate 81, extending at an intermediate `rinclined :anglerelative to thegathering plate 50,'upwardlyztoatermination point in line with ythe axis of the trunnions 13, 13 about which the gather- `ing headand 4said front conveyer section'are tiltable on a transverse axis-(see Figures 1', 2 and ,1.7). `'I'lfie-"side.walls ofthe, fronty conveyer secr`tion =82- are formed by the side plates 11I,-1I of `the loading head,-previous ly mentioned:y

Theoor plate 81 has a gib section 88 fixed along its upper surface, in which the conveyer chain I14 is guided as usual while passing upwardly along the front section 82. I The'conveyer chain `passes over an-idler roller 89 at thefronten'd of ,the conveyer, and as it passes'rearwardly beneath the floor plate 81, it passes over a1 bottom plate SI and below a tensioning idler roller 92. In lthe .form shown, said conveyer chain is led upwardly from .the idler rollerover a curved-frontv apron i93 of van under pan 94 which is mounted ,onthe .second conveyer section 83, as will presently appear. The secondconveyer section 83 extends `from ythere.rear edge of the front section 82 rearwardly .over theintermediate frame 45,.,to the area 4of Qarticulationadjacent the upright pivot-.pin 46 ,about which said intermediate frame swings laterally. Said conveyer section includes al -U- ,shaped troughl member having side walls 96, 96

.and oor plate ,81, with a gib section 9 8 Valong portion I I Iof floor plate II2 ofthe thirdtrough section 84. The deck portion yIII is concentric with the axis of articulation determined by the pivot pin 46 (see Figurel) y "Thegib section 98 projects rearv'vardlyv over the upper surface of the widened Ideckzportionll to a point adjacent the axis of articulation. VA plate I05is slidably mounted between the Aupright side members of the gib section |01 on deck plate III of conveyer section 84 at the front end of the latter, and the front endv of said plate is connected by a pivot pin II6 to an intermediate gib sectionII5 (see Figure 13). Said gib section II-5 is recessed at' ID3 for lateral movement in the deck plate III, and is connected by pivot pinI I4 t0 the rear end of bottom plate IIII of Igib section aesinos 98. The sliding plate "105 has sufficient endwise movement to permitA the intermediate gib member H to adjust itself to `various angular positions, when the trough sections 82 and 83 are swung laterally relative to the trough section 84.

Theunder pan 94 oftrough section 83 is generally U-shaped in cross section, but has its side walls cut away at its rear end, (see Figures 11 and 12), so thatit projects at its floor level beyond the pivot pin 461 and terminates with a concentric arcuate rear edge, in abutting relation with an under pan of trough secton84, as will presently appear.

The upright side walls H1, H1 of trough sec- In the form shown herein, said side plates have longitudinal slots H811, H8a therein, permitting the lateral edges of the widened deck portion 1 11 to project therethrough, as shown in Figure 11,

so that the sideplates 118, 118 form lateral closures both above and below said deck plate. The free ends of said side plates 118, H8 have pins 119, H9 riding in longitudinally extending guides 128, 121 suitably xed along the upper and lower edges, respectively, of the trough section 84. Said side plates H8, H8 are preferably bowed or bent outwardly in horizontaldirection near their free ends, as shown, so as to accommodate themselves readily to the various angular positions they assume during swinging movement of trough section 83. y

An auxiliary hinged plate |22 is also mounted on the front end of each side wall H1 and projects forwardly under pressure of suitable yielding tension means (not shown) into sliding engagement with the outer surface of the adjacent side plate H8.

The lower or return reachof` the conveyer has its chain positively guided along the trough section 84 by a centrally disposed gib member 108 xed on the under face of door plate H2 and terminating in flared sides 109, 109 at the axis of articulation (see Figure 1) so as to receive the chain in all laterally adjusted positions of the front trough sections 82 and 83. In the latter sections, the under or return reach of the conveyer is guided in their respective under pans.

The vertical tilting troughsection 85 is pivotally connected to trough section 84 by a trunnion device which` is somewhat similar to the trunnioned connection between trough sections 82 and 83, previously described. In the form shown, a pair of trunnion bearings 125, 125 are supported on the main frame 10 by brackets 126, 126 at the rear end of trough section 84, and have trunnion bearing members |21, |271 of trough section 85 pivotally connected thereto, on a transverse axis substantially in alignment with the iioor plate |12 of the relatively xed trough secmembers 121, 121. of trough section extend outwardly from side walls 136, 136 of said trough l section 85.

The side walls 13B, 136 are connected together by a floor plate to form the conveyer trough of the trough section 85, said conveyer trough and v under. pan being substantially the same in cross section as the troughs and under pan of trough section 84 (see Figure 8) and the trough section 83 (Figure 18).

The trough section 85 rests on a supporting frame 128 having upright sides 130 and 181. Said trough section with its supporting frame 128 is bodily elevated about the axis of the trunnion members 12'1, 12'1 by a pair of hydraulic cylinder devices or jacks 13'1, 131 extending vertically at opposite sides of the main frame 18 and having their lower ends pivotally connected to brackets 138, 138, mounted adjacent the lower part of the motor 34. The upper ends of said hydraulic cylinder devices or jacks are pivotally connected to overhanging brackets |39, 148, fixed to opposite uprightsides 138 and 131 of the supporting frame 128 and extending upwardly and laterally from said sides (see Figure 6).

The laterally swinging rear trough section 86 consists essentially of a U-shaped trough member 143 having a floor 1M and side walls 145, 145, and with an under pan 143 secured therebeneath, similar to the general troughing arrangement oi the other trough sections previously described. The articulated connection between said trough section 85 and the trough section 8G, shown herein, is somewhat similar to the articulated connection between trough sections 83 and 813, previously described, excepting for certain details as will presently appear. l

The lower iloor plate 134 of trough sectie-n 85 has an upright centrally disposed pivot pin 188 near its rear end, on which a horizontal fanshaped plate 145i is pivoted. The plate 149 is preferably disposed in a recessed portion in the under side of said bottom plate, and extends rearwardly from the latter and terminates into a supporting plate 151 which extends rearwardly along the trough section 8E beneath its under pan 146.

'Ihe outer side frame members 138, 131 of the supporting frame 128 extend rearwardly from the body of the latter and have diverging rear ends, between which is connected an arcuate horizontal bearing plate 152. Said bearing plate extends transversely beneath the supporting plate 151, as sho-wn in Figures 2 and 4, to form a cradle upon which said supporting plate 151 is supported in sliding engagement, in the various positions of lateral adjustment of trough section 85.

The floor plate 1411 of trough member 143 terminates on an arcuate line 153, concentric with the pivot pin 148, and abutting the arcuate rear edge 154 of a widened rear end portion 155 of the trough oor plate 135 (see Figure 2). The under pan 146 has its bottom plate extending forwardly ofthe pivot pin 148, and terminating on an arcuate line 156 abutting the rear terminal edge of under pan 134 of trough section 85.

The upper reach of conveyer chain i4 is guided along troughsection 85 by a gib section 158a similar to the gib sections 88, 88 and i011 of trough sections 82, 83 and 84, respectively, previously described. The rear trough section 8B also has a short gib section 15'1 adjacent its front end. A short intermediate gib section 158 is recessed at 159 in the floor plate 144, substantially on the axis of articulation between trough sections 85 and 86. Said intermediate gib section 158 is connected to a plate |80 slidably mounted along and within the adjacent end of gib section 157 (seel Figure 16), in the same manner that the intermediate gib section 1 15 is mounted for lateral adjustment between gib sections 98 and 10'1, on the axis of articulation between trough sections 83 and 84 at the front end of the machine.

The lower reach of the conveyer has its chain positively guided along trough member 85 in a gib member |6| similar to the gib member |08 of trough member 84, and carried on the under face of floor plate |44, with flared sides |62, |62 terminating at the axis of articulation (see Figure 2) so as to guide the chain in all laterally adjusted positions of the rear trough section 86. In the rear trough section 86, the lower reach of the c'onveyer is guided by lateral engagement of the conveyer flights along its under pan |46,

The gap between the side walls of the adjacent trough sections 85 and 86 is closed by hinged side plates |63, |63, and auxiliary plates |84, |64 of substantially the same form and arrangement as the hinged plates H8, ||8, and auxiliary plates |22, |22, which close the gaps between the trough sections 83 and 84, as previously described.

The conveyer chain I4 is driven from a chain sprocket |65 on cross shaft |66 having suitable bearings on the main frame below the xed trough section 84 (see Figures 2, 4, 8, 9 and 10). The chain I4 is trained over idler rollers |61, |68 disposed forwardly and rearwardly of shaft |66, to increase the wrap of the chain over sprocket |65. The shaft |66 has dual chain sprockets |89 at one end thereof connected by chains |10 to sprockets |1| on a clutch shaft |12. Suitable clutch means are mounted on said shaft to connect a bevel gear |13 with said shaft, in the form shown herein the clutch means comprising a multiple disc clutch of well known construction indicated at |14. The bevel gear |13 is driven by bevel pinion |15 xed on the front end of the armature shaft 35 of the electric motor 34. The engagement and disengagement of the clutch |14 is controlled by an endwise adjustable member |16 threaded on a relatively xed sleeve |11 concentric with shaft |12 and acting on a pressure plate |18 through coil spring |19. The adjustable member |15 is manually controlled by a shaft |80', which extends outwardly through the side of the main frame l0 (see Figure 8) and is shiftable longitudinally so that a pinion |8| may engage a toothed gear |82 carried by the member |16, to rotate the latter in either direction.

The rear trough section 86 is swung laterally by power from a hydraulic cylinder device |83 havingr one end pivotally connected to the bracket |40 on one side of the main frame, and the other end pivotally connected to a bracket |84 on the adjacent side of the trough section 86.

The hydraulic control system and the hydraulic actuating devices used in effecting the several operating or adjusting functions of the machine are disclosed in my divisional application Serial No. 488,603, filed May 26, 1943, so are not described in detail herein.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which my invention may be embodied, it will be understood that the construction thereof and the arrangement of the various parts may be altered without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Furthermore, I do not wish to be construed as limiting my invention to the specific embodiment illustrated, excepting. as it may be limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1, In a loading apparatus, a night conveyer including trough sections pivotally connected at adjacent ends for relative lateral swinging adjustment, each of said trough sections including an upper oor plate for supporting the upper strand of the conveyer and a lower oor plate for guiding the lower strand of the conveyer, the upper floor plate of one of said trough sections extending beyond the pivotal axis of articulation in one direction and terminating in concentric abutting relation with the upper floor plate of the second trough section, and a lower oor plate of said second section extending beyond the pivotal axis of articulation in the opposite direction and terminating in concentric abutting relation with the lower floor plate of said rst section.

2. In a loading apparatus, a flight conveyer of the single center chain type including two trough sections pivotally7 connected at adjacent ends for relative lateral swinging adjustment, one of said trough sections having a' floor plate extending beyond the axis of articulation and terminating in concentric abutting relation with the floor plate of the second trough section, chain center gib sections mounted on both of said floor plates, each terminating short of the axis of articulation, and an intermediate gib section mounted for lateral swinging movement relative to the floor plate of said rst trough section across the axis of articulation, and having operative connection at opposite'ends to the adjacent ends of said gib sections.

3. In a loading apparatus, a flight conveyer of the single center chain type including two trough sections pivotally connected at adjacent ends for relative lateral swinging adjustment, one of said trough sections having a oor plate extending beyond the axis of articulation and terminating in concentric abutting relation with the floor plate of the second trough section, chain center gib sections mounted on both of said floor plates, each terminating short of the axis of articulation, and an intermediate gib section mounted for lateral swinging movement relative to the floor plate of said rst trough section across the axis of articulation, said intermediate gib section having pivoted connection to the adjacent end of one of said gib sections, and pivoted and sliding connection relative to the adjacent end of the other gib section.

4. In a loading apparatus, a flight conveyer including trough sections pivotally connected at adjacent ends for relative lateral swinging adjustment, each of said trough sections including an upper oor plate for supporting the upper strand of the conveyer, the upper floor plate of one of said trough sections extending beyond the pivotal axis of articulation in one direction and terminating in concentric abutting relation with the upper floor plate of the second trough section, means rigid with the second trough section having overlapping engagement with the upper floor plate of the upper trough section during relative swinging movement of said sections, the lower floor plate of said second section extending beyond the pivotal axis of articulation in the opposite direction and terminating in concentric i abutting relation with the lower floor plate of 

